May 16 last chance to experience Be the Dinosaur

Monday, June 20, 2016 11:29:00 AM

Museum to host antique appraisal event on May 1 and copper artifacts presentation on May 15

The Be the Dinosaur™ exhibit at the Oshkosh Public Museum has been a huge success, with over 7,500 people visiting to date to see if they have what it takes to be a dinosaur. This groundbreaking exhibition is centered on an accurately recreated virtual Cretaceous ecosystem that plays like a video game.

The primary intended audience is K-8, but visitors of all ages can enjoy entering into the largest and most complex restoration of an extinct ecosystem ever created. Visitors can become a moving, breathing, interactive virtual dinosaur. The last day to experience the Be the Dinosaur™ exhibit is Monday, May 16. The Museum will be open from 10 am - 4:30 pm on this date for the closing of this special exhibition.

On Sunday, May 1, antiques expert Mark F. Moran of Iola, WI, will conduct What's It Worth?, an antiques and collectibles appraisal event at the Museum. An active appraiser of antiques and fine art for over 20 years, Moran has bought and sold antiques for more than 30 years, specializing in vintage folk art, Americana, and fine art. He is the author or co-author of more than 25 books on antiques and collectibles, including three editions of the 800-page annual Warman's Antiques & Collectibles.

Pre-registration is required for this appraisal event as only a limited number of spots are available. The appraisal fee is $15 per item and each registrant is limited to three items. Opinions of value are informal, and may not be used for insurance or charitable donations, which require a certified appraisal. Call the Museum at 920-236-5763 or email kszekeres@ci.oshkosh.wi.us to register for this event or for more information. All proceeds will benefit the Oshkosh Public Museum.

Moran is also available to make home visits. House calls are $75 an hour and there is no mileage charge if within ten miles of Oshkosh. For specific questions on items that are covered or to schedule a home visit, contact Mark Moran directly at 715-281-5060, email moranm1953@gmail.com, or mail to Mark F. Moran Appraisals of Antiques & Fine Art, N7326 Maple Ridge Trail, Iola, WI 54945. You can also visit Moran's website at markfmoran.com or find him on Facebook at http://facebook.com/Markfmoran.

Monette Bebow-Reinhard will give a brief overview of what the copper industry looked like here in Wisconsin on Sunday, May 15, starting at 2:00 pm at the Museum. Bebow-Reinhard disseminated the Hamilton database from the collection on display at the State Historical Society. That project led her to begin compiling a master database of all pre-Columbian copper artifacts found in the Americas (CAMD), now numbering over 54,000. She will then demonstrate how the CAMD works by exploring several cultural manifestations in Winnebago County to uncover the potential of early Hopewell presence here, with a special focus on her recent work with the copper artifacts in the collections at the Museum. This presentation is free with general admission and open to the public.

Regular hours at the Oshkosh Public Museum, 1331 Algoma Boulevard, are Tuesday - Saturday from 10 am - 4:30 pm and Sunday from 1 pm - 4:30 pm. The Museum will also be open from 10 am - 4:30 pm on Monday, May 16, for the closing of the Be the Dinosaur™ exhibit. For more information about the Museum's programming events and exciting exhibits, visit oshkoshmuseum.org, call 920.236.5799 or email museum@ci.oshkosh.wi.us.

About the Oshkosh Public MuseumThe Oshkosh Public Museum is a regional history museum, nationally accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. Housed in the historic Sawyer home since 1924, the Museum is entrusted with the care of approximately 250,000 artifacts and historical documents representing all aspects of the region's people and heritage. The Museum is dedicated to excellence in preservation of historical collections strongly focused around the Fox River and the extensive Winnebago watershed; interactively communicating the story of Oshkosh and the Lake Winnebago region through well-researched, quality exhibitions, programs and publications; and engaging guests in ways that inspire discovery. For admission, hours and more information about the Museum's exciting exhibits and events, visit oshkoshmuseum.org, call 920.236.5799 or email museum@ci.oshkosh.wi.us.